Netflix delays password sharing crackdown to later this year
Expect to pay more for sharing a Netflix account by the middle of 2023
Netflix will begin cracking down on password sharers in the US this year, although the clampdown will come later than originally thought.
The company’s latest shareholder report says a “broad rollout” of the new system is planned for the second quarter of 2023 (between April and June). Netflix previously said it intended to crack down on password sharing in the first quarter of the year.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Netflix password sharing
🔨 Apple plans to crack down on password sharing in the US later this year
😬 Expect a new password policy to appear by June
💰 Users will need to pay extra to add other households to their account
🤔 There’s no word yet on how much it’ll cost
“In Q1, we launched paid sharing in four countries and are pleased with the results,” Netflix said. “We are planning on a broad rollout, including in the US, in Q2.”
The streaming company has been testing new password protection models abroad over the last few months, wanting to prevent users from sharing their account passwords with friends, family and other people outside of their household. It initially began testing extra membership fees, which asked customers to pay around an extra $2.99 per month to add an extra household to their membership.
Back in February, it outlined its password crackdown plans in more detail. Users will be able to add an extra member to their account for a fee, which must be paid by the account holder, although they can't share passwords overseas. Netflix will monitor which devices are using an account by reading their Wi-Fi network, and if you’re caught using a device that isn’t marked “primary location”, it will be blocked from the platform.
As well as families and friends who share Netflix accounts, the new policy also presents problems for frequent travelers who spent long stints abroad. You’ll need to connect a device to your primary, home Wi-Fi network every 31 days, or else it’ll be kicked off your account.
Netflix hasn’t yet revealed how much this password-sharing program will cost users when it’s rolled out in the US. When it was first rolled out overseas, the price of adding an extra member to an account varied by region.
It’s only the latest initiative the company has concocted to drum up greater revenue. It launched a cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier last year to appeal to those on a budget, although it lacked many key features like 1080p streaming and downloads, and didn’t include the platform’s full movie library.